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Sunday, November 2, 2014

Miner's Shot Down. Fundraiser for Marikana families

A captive and diverse audience for Miners Shot Down

The San Leandro Workers’ Club (San Leandro, California)
sponsored a showing of the film, Miners Shot Down at the Englander Pub and
restaurant in San Leandro on November 1st. The film, directed by Rehad Desai
(Watch
an interview with Desai here), covers events that occurred at the Lonmin
mine in Marikana South Africa in August 2012.

Rock drillers at the mine went on a wildcat strike after
frustration at their union leadership’s cozy relationship with management and
refusal to support their demands for wage increases. These workers mine one of
the world’s most valuable minerals for pitifully low wages that ensure a life
of poverty.The miners merely wanted the
company to negotiate with them, but Lonmin’s management insisted they go through
their official leaders in the NUM. The NUM officials however, refused to
support the drillers' wage demands and had shot at strikers attempting to
protest at the NUM offices. The miners were demanding a wage of R12,500 South
African Rand a month.

Miners Shot Down is a very powerful film.Through detailed accounts and emails produced
in the aftermath of the massacre, it shows how the Police, Lonmin and government ministers colluded during the
six days prior to the massacre to break the strike and to stop it spreading to
other mines.It shows how Cyril
Ramaphosa, the once heroic NUM leader now government minister, sided with the
corporation on whose board he sits.

Ramaphosa
in an unguarded moment in the film justifies his collaboration by claiming that
with the introduction of Black Economic Empowerment some blacks have been
brought in to the corporate world but do not own or control these industries
which is true.Neither the economic or political
power has changed hands and the system of exploitation remains. He excuses his
collaboration on the basis that all people like him can do is become
“advocates.”He sees no alternative to
capitalism and like his counterparts in the US, has enriched himself in the
process.

There
is a very moving scene in the movie when Joseph Mathunjwa the head of the rival union, the Association of
Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU), falls to his knees and pleads with
the strikers to leave their gathering place, telling them that a black man’s
life is “very cheap” in Africa and warning them of the “capitalists” brutal intentions.

A diverse group of forty-five
people attended the San Leandro event that raised $300 for the Marikana Justice
Campaign. There were blue and white collar workers, professionals and students. Members of various unions present included, SEIU, ILWU, Plumbers, Operating Engineers, Letter Carriers, and Afscme.

It is important for as many of us as possible to see this moving film and help the victims. If
you are interested in showing the movie to raise funds for the campaign, in a
home, club or other venue, and are in the Bay Area contact the San Leandro
Workers Club at San_Leandro_workersclub@yahoo.com

Below
are two useful articles that give some insight in to the social conditions that
led to this clash between the South African government and the working class,
the worst massacre in post Apartheid South Africa, at the following links: